Find top tech talent today

Thanks for signing up for a hired demo!

A Hired representative will reach out to you shortly. In the meantime, learn more about how we can help you meet your critical hiring needs.

HIRED

Career Path: How to become a Network Engineer

It’s a good time to consider a career in Network Engineering. Network engineers get the opportunity to work in almost any industry alongside a team of skilled IT professionals. And with more companies making the shift to big data, cloud computing and social media, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a steady growth in the demand for network engineers and system architects.

Getting Through the Door

To become a network engineer, you must have a strong grasp of networking basis—everything from the different classifications of a network to understating how wirel...more

Get matched with Network Engineer jobs

At Hired, we connect innovative companies with outstanding candidates like you. Plus, the employers apply to you, not the other way around.
Join Hired
Find candidates now
Looking to hire Network Engineers? Hired has them. With high response rates and deep expertise, we help you hire better talent, faster

Salary range for Network Engineers

See results by role, experience, and location.
Data is from real (not self-reported) interviews and offers on Hired.

Low data availability: this result is based on limited data.
To explore more salaries for Network Engineer, visit our Salary Calculator.

We've got salaries for other top technical roles, too.

Explore Salaries

Opportunities for Network Engineers

The job prospects and compensations for Network Engineers varies across cities. See where Network Engineers are the most sought after.

Jobs by City
Average Salary
Companies hiring
CAREER GUIDE

Want to land the salary you deserve?

Whether you're looking for a new job or want to land your next
promotion, salary negotiation is a critical career skill.

Our complete Salary Negotiation Guide will make sure you're prepared
to land the salary you deserve, articulate your skills, and common
mistakes to avoid during the interview process.

Download
HIRED BLOG

Career-building content for Network Engineers

We've collected tons of information on salaries, compensation, negotiation and more. See even more on our blog.

Manage Work & Stress: 5 Ways to Build Work-Life Balance

Career Advice

Unless you’re a robot, it’s all but impossible to avoid having work stress. But it’s not impossible to avoid taking those feelings home with you at the end of the day and really lean into work-life balance.  True leisure time, in which anxiety and frustration over work can be set aside until you’re next at… Read More

Emotions at Work: 5 Ways to Deal and Still Get Work Done

Career Advice

The average person will reportedly spend more than 90,000 hours of life at work — more than any other activity outside of sleeping. You will encounter days and even extended periods when the actual act of doing your work is hard to reconcile with the other things occupying your brain. Put simply: Sometimes work is… Read More

4 Ways Women Can Get the Salary They Deserve

DEI Salary

Although we’ve made tremendous strides in gender equality, data shows we still have a long way to go, especially when it comes to pay. The gender wage gap represents the difference in salaries between men and women. Pew Research Center shared that it hasn’t changed much in the past two decades in the US. In… Read More

2024 Tech Hiring: 7 Ways to Stay Competitive in Tough Job Markets

Job Search

It felt like not long ago employers were eager to fill open roles in anticipation of accelerated growth. Now, jobseekers are feeling the pinch of tough job markets between layoffs and a hiring slowdown due to market shifts.  Whether you are unemployed, underemployed, or feeling complacent in a role, it’s easy to feel the effects… Read More

6 Ways to Find a Mentor to Advance Your Career (+ What to Look for in a Great Mentor)

Career Advice

One of the most undervalued but beneficial resources any professional can have during their career is a mentor. In an increasingly competitive world of work, a combination of emotional intelligence, a refined skill set, and a great network will drive your career’s growth trajectory. If you speak with any accomplished (senior) professional, the last piece… Read More

Is Your Workplace Toxic? How to Know — And What To Do Next

Career Advice

Do you dread going to work in the morning? You might not dislike your actual job, but the culture or environment of your workplace itself. Unfortunately, a toxic workplace is all too common and can be difficult to handle. You’ve got an inbox full of real work to do. Yet, you spend much of your… Read More

Tech Candidate Spotlight – James Turner, Senior Mobile Engineer

Candidate Spotlight

Can you share a little bit about your educational background? I have a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Hampshire College. I also have 40+ years of self-learning new technologies as I worked in the tech industry. My BA has had the biggest impact on my career. I was able to spend a year working at… Read More

Tech Candidate Spotlight – Dmitry Cheryasov, Senior Software Engineer

Candidate Spotlight

Can you share a little bit about your educational background? I have a Master’s degree in computer control systems from 1995. I also completed some postgrad studies in visual programming (one of the fashions of the day). As a junior developer, I pursued various certifications (Java, SQL, HTML, etc). Eventually, my work history became a… Read More

Tech Candidate Spotlight – Christine Kim, Senior Software Engineer

Candidate Spotlight

Can you share a little bit about your educational background? I graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from Brandeis University. I also worked at the IT Help Desk while at school, and had an engineering internship my junior year summer. Having a solid foundation during my B.S. Computer Science degree made the biggest impact… Read More

HOW HIRED WORKS

There's a better way to find work you love.

01

Answer a few questions to complete your profile.

02

Companies request interviews with upfront compensation.

03

Find your dream job!

Career Path: How to become a Network Engineer

It’s a good time to consider a career in Network Engineering. Network engineers get the opportunity to work in almost any industry alongside a team of skilled IT professionals. And with more companies making the shift to big data, cloud computing and social media, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a steady growth in the demand for network engineers and system architects.

Getting Through the Door

To become a network engineer, you must have a strong grasp of networking basis—everything from the different classifications of a network to understating how wireless access points, switches and routers function in a network. If you’re just starting out in networking, you can quickly improve your knowledge by signing up for a course on basic networking. Online sites like Udemy and Coursera are a good place to begin.

However, the best approach is to complete a degree in programs that cover networking. Good options include computer systems management, electrical engineering, physics or computer science. Beyond the benefits of early exposure, college programs offer an invaluable balance of theoretical and practical coursework. They also include courses in core areas like software, network architecture, web fundamentals, computer security and server administration.

Get Some Experience

Most employers only consider candidates without a degree if they have an extensive work history that proves their skills. And if you already have a degree, pairing that with at least a year’s worth of experience will significantly improve your odds of landing that first job. Learn more about networking by volunteering as a technician or intern on different projects. You can also work your way into a position by find jobs in related areas like IT repair, service, systems administration or desktop support. Some of the other minimum requirements that you’ll need to meet to qualify as a junior-level network administrator or network engineer include:

  • An ability to understand or create complex blueprints
  • Good problem-solving skills
  • Effective organization
  • An ability to work alongside teams
  • Good multitasking skills
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Capable of working odd hours

Working as a Junior Network Engineer

Depending on the size of the company, you may work alongside a large team of IT professionals where you’re assigned a specific responsibility; or work alone in a smaller office where you’re tasked with a broader range of IT-related issues. In the beginning, your duties may revolve around networking administration, namely establishing the network environment for the office by configuring systems and enforcing network standards. You’ll also likely be tasked with configuring switch equipment, firewalls and liaising with the rest of the team.

Moving up the Ranks

As your skill improves, so also will your duties and responsibilities. After three years, most network engineers are able to design and implement new network solutions. They are also able to support firewall environment as well as maximize the performance of a network. Other duties may include scheduling system upgrades, troubleshooting network issues and undertaking network fault investigations. They may work closely with network architects in creating secure network systems and are charged with performing firmware upgrades and hardware changes.

Advance Your Career: How to become a Senior Network Engineer

Senior Network Engineers design, deploy and manage data communication networks, ranging from LANs to cloud infrastructure that connects wide areas. They present plans to upper management and oversee hardware and soft upgrades to improve network performance. This position requires good communication and leadership skills as well as an ability to multitask under pressure.

Cement the Basics

Experts advise that junior engineers take the time to master the core concepts of networking to ensure they have the right foundation. Expand your knowledge on areas like subnetting, spanning-tree and ARP before taking on advanced components like BGP route reflectors.

You can also build on your knowledge by becoming skilled in Linux as well as multiple vendors. Although programming isn’t a core requirement for becoming a network engineer, you’ll improve your abilities if you have experience in scripting network-related languages like Python, Bash and Perl.

Decide on a Network Engineering Path

After one or more years of working as a technician, you’d have gained enough experience to decide your ideal career path. Network Engineering can go in different directions depending on the technology or experience. For instance, you can decide to become a network analyst or network administrator. You can also make the move towards becoming a network manager or network solutions architect.

Take Industry Certifications

Network engineers need to stay constantly updated on emerging trends to keep up with the changes in the industry. A good way of improving your professional development is by earning industry-standard certifications. Recruiters often prefer senior network engineers who are certified with multiple vendors. Some of the qualifications that help improve your chances of promotion include:

  • Microsoft Certificated Professional Certifications: Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Microsoft Solutions Developer (MCSD) and Microsoft Solutions Expert (MCSE)
  • Cisco Certifications: Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) and the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
  • CompTIA Certifications: CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+
  • Red Hat Certifications: Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) and Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA)

Expand your Experience and Network

Get involved in more projects. The only way to improve your hands-on skill is to actually be involved in designing or managing different kinds of networks. Because maintenance and upgrades are often down after hours, you’re likely to work late hours of the day and sometimes over the weekend. You can also expand your network by joining forums and signing up with professional associations in your region. Having a strong network will not only help keep you updated on emerging trends, it will also expand your visibility to possible job openings.

Network Engineer Job Description

We’ve done the research for you. After evaluating numerous job descriptions, we’ve written our own representative job description for a mid-level software engineer with between 2 and 5 years of relevant experience.

As the network engineer, you’ll be tasked with managing the company’s day-to-day network performance alongside the IT support team. You’ll be expected to maintain the integrity of server systems and ensure fast interconnectivity while minimizing downtime. The ideal candidate for this position will be efficient, organized and have good problem-solving skills. Our engineers are versatile and self-motivated, can work in a self-directed manner or in a collaborative setting as needed, and display leadership qualities. We value a diversity of perspectives and encourage healthy discussion and debate, but unite behind our decisions.

What We Need Your Help With

  • Designing, developing and maintaining network infrastructure
  • Maximizing network performance by troubleshooting problems and minimizing outages
  • Reporting network operation status
  • Establishing and enforcing network policies for optimal network security
  • Defining and monitoring network access
  • Designing unique network solutions for each department
  • Maintaining firewall and optimizing security
  • Performing audits on host devices and IP addresses
  • Establishing the network environment by installing and configuring network systems
  • Programming switches, routers and other network hardware
  • Configuring DNS servers
  • Managing owned domain names
  • Selecting and installing data communication components
  • Conducting data network fault investigations
  • Liaising with vendors

What We Look For

  • 3+ years of proven hands-on experience configuring and troubleshooting network hardware
  • 2+ years of recent experience in network design and implementation, network performance tuning
  • Experience with Proxy servers
  • Solid network foundation and understanding of TC/IP or OSI model
  • Familiarity with different network types including VoIP and SANs
  • Exemplary communication skills; able to map problem-solution space and explain possible solutions to non-technical team members
  • Passion for learning new technologies fast
  • B.S. degree in Network Administration, Information Technology, Software Engineering or a related field
  • Knowledge of Nexus Products, CISCO Products and network protocols (BGP, OSPF, IPSEC, 802.11 etc.)

These Would Also Be Nice

  • Experience with project management
  • Previous experience in system support, network administration or IT security positions
  • Additional certifications such as CCNA, CNNP, MCSE, MCSA and CompTIA Network+
  • Flexibility with working hours, including occasionally spending the weekends or night

Senior Software Engineer Career Paths - Where to Go From Here

With more than 10 years’ worth of experience in network engineering, your career path could go in several directions, depending on your area of specialization. In larger corporations with wider IT systems, you can make a shift towards network management positions, working as a network manager or network architect, where your duties will include designing networks, developing technology roadmaps and analyzing data traffic to determine network needs.

You might also decide to branch into network support with the goal of becoming a lead network controller. In addition to overseeing technical support-related decisions, your duties as a network controller will include staff management and network strategy. Another option is to make the shift to computer and information systems where your experience as a network engineer will give you a major head start towards becoming a Chief Technology Officer or Chief Information Officers (CIO), where your duties will include evaluating new technology and determining the overall corporate tech strategy.

If you’re interested in the business side of running a company, you could enroll for an MBA with the goal of becoming a Management Information Systems director or IT director. IT directors are responsible for ensuring effective data and network services by coordinating the IT personnel. They head the IT departments and determine the business requirements for the network systems while overseeing the department budget.

Yet another option is to specialize in the field of security, working your way up the ranks to become a Security Director or CISO (Chief Information Security Officer). Network Security Engineers help protect organizations from hardware or software vulnerabilities while testing new security solutions. An advanced degree in IT security will give your career a boost as well as certifications like the CCNP Security, CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) and CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker).

Network Engineers can work in almost any industry, so you can make a shift between different fields to areas you’re interested in. For instance, gaming studios and financial companies have a constant need for skilled network engineers and blockchain may likely play a major role in how networks evolve. Working in top-level positions means that you’ll likely be responsible for justifying the request for funding on new tech to top executives. You’ll need to have excellent presentation and communication skills.

That said, not all career paths lead to working full-time with other companies. If you have a lot of experience and a wide client list, you could make the shift into self-employment either setting up our own network company or work on a contract basis with different companies. Ultimately, the best decision is one that balances your technical skills, qualifications and interests as an engineer.

C++

C++ is an object-oriented language derived from C, and invented by Bjarne Stroustrup, while working at AT&T's Bell Labs. It is widely used for systems-level programming, and building applications on Windows and various Unix operating systems (Lin...

C

C is a widely used low-level, static-typed, compiled computer language known for its efficiency. Developed in the late sixties, C has become one of the most widely used languages of all time. It provides direct access to memory and due to its de...

Java is a statically-typed, cross-platform language. It is concurrent, class-based, and object-oriented. It has minimal implementation dependencies and compiled Java code can run on all platforms that support Java without the need for recompilat...

Python is an object-oriented programming language notable for its clarity, power and flexibility. Python is an interpreted language, meaning that an interpreter reads and runs the code directly, rather than compiling down into static lower level c...

"Agile Methodologies" or "Agile" are ways of describing an iterative approach to software development. Often adopted as an alternative to waterfall and other traditional sequential development practices. It is meant to help teams work quickly to i...

PHP

PHP is a widely-used open-source scripting language that has seen wide use in web application development. PHP code must be processed by an interpreter like the Zend Engine. With a strong open-source community and large adoption world-wide, PHP ...

.NET is a framework created by Microsoft that consists of common language runtime and its own class library. Its key benefits are managing code at execution in the form of memory management, thread management and remoting. It also has added safet...

Adobe Photoshop is the mode widely used photo editing and image manipulation application in the world. It is used by designers and hobbyists worldwide to design products, advertising, applications, websites, art, and more.

Swift is a programming language created by Apple Inc. for macOS, iOS, watchOS and tvOS development. It is meant to work well with the large body of existing Objective-C (ObjC) code written for Apple products. Some of the core concepts it supports...

Top industries hiring Network Engineers

eCommerce

The retail landscape has changed dramatically over the past few decades. Retail was once a brick-and-mortar industry, comprised of small, independently owned-and-operated businesses and large chain stores with multiple outposts throughout the c...

Aerospace

The aerospace industry involves designing and building machinery in the space industry, including parts, missiles and rockets. As of 2015, the aerospace industry was worth over $180.3 billion, with the majority of its net worth coming from comm...

Looking for a job as a Network Engineer?
Get matched on Hired.